Parents Sentenced in Tragic School Shooting Case in Serbia
The parents of a teenage boy responsible for a devastating school shooting in Serbia have received their sentences following a tragic incident in May 2023. In the attack at Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in Belgrade, the then 13-year-old boy killed nine children and a security guard.
On Monday, the boy’s father, Vladimir Kecmanović, was sentenced to over 14 years in prison, while his mother, Miljana Kecmanović, received a three-year sentence. In addition, Nemanja Marinković, an instructor at a local shooting club who trained the boy on firearm use, was handed a sentence of 15 months.
Due to his age, the boy cannot stand trial, as he is below the legal age of criminal responsibility. However, his parents were charged with a serious safety violation for improperly securing firearms and ammunition. Both parents denied the allegations, and the trial was conducted behind closed doors.
At the Belgrade high court, Vladimir was convicted of endangering public safety by teaching his son to shoot and failing to secure his weapon. He was additionally found guilty of neglecting a minor. Meanwhile, Miljana was convicted of neglecting a minor but was acquitted of charges related to illegal weapon possession.
Identified only as KK, the boy was escorted to court in October for the first time since the attack. During this session, he provided testimony as a witness, responding to questions from the judge, prosecutor, defense, and lawyers representing the victims’ families, including the mother of one of the deceased children.
The courtroom was filled with grieving parents seeking answers to the motives behind their children’s deaths. One lawyer representing the families described the proceedings as "one of the most harrowing trials" they had ever witnessed. Notably, eight out of the nine victims were female.
The nation mourned once again just two days later when another mass shooting claimed eight more lives in a separate incident outside the capital. Following the boy’s testimony, his family’s lawyer remarked that he had lived a seemingly normal life before the tragedy, indicating that the exact reasons behind his actions remain unclear.
